Abstract
This paper introduces a sort of automata and associated languages, often arising in modelling natural phenomena, in which both vagueness and simultaneity are taken as first class citizens. This requires a fuzzy semantics assigned to transitions and a precise notion of a synchronous product to enforce the simultaneous occurrence of actions. The expected relationships between automata and languages are revisited in this setting; in particular it is shown that any subset of a fuzzy synchronous language with the suitable signature forms a synchronous Kleene algebra.

Abstract

Abstract
Photosynthesis is an important and complex physical process in nature, whose comprehensive understanding would have many relevant industrial applications, for instance, in the field of energy production. In this paper, we propose a quantum algorithm for the simulation of the excitonic transport of energy, occurring in the first stage of the process of photosynthesis. The algorithm takes in account the quantum and environmental effects (pure dephasing), influencing the quantum transport. We performed quantum simulations of such phenomena, for a proof of concept scenario, in an actual quantum computer, IBMQ, of 5 qubits. We validate the results with the Haken-Strobl model and discuss the influence of environmental parameters on the efficiency of the energy transport.

Abstract

Abstract
The rise of Big, Open and Linked Data (BOLD) enables Big Data Algorithmic Systems (BDAS) which are often based on machine learning, neural networks and other forms of Artificial Intelligence (AI). As such systems are increasingly requested to make decisions that are consequential to individuals, communities and society at large, their failures cannot be tolerated, and they are subject to stringent regulatory and ethical requirements. However, they all rely on data which is not only big, open and linked but varied, dynamic and streamed at high speeds in real-time. Managing such data is challenging. To overcome such challenges and utilize opportunities for BDAS, organizations are increasingly developing advanced data governance capabilities. This paper reviews challenges and approaches to data governance for such systems, and proposes a framework for data governance for trustworthy BDAS. The framework promotes the stewardship of data, processes and algorithms, the controlled opening of data and algorithms to enable external scrutiny, trusted information sharing within and between organizations, risk-based governance, system-level controls, and data control through shared ownership and self-sovereign identities. The framework is based on 13 design principles and is proposed incrementally, for a single organization and multiple networked organizations.

Abstract
A national census is an official count of a country's population that aims to motivate and measure sustainable development. Traditionally, a census is a cumbersome manual operation that involves distributing surveys to all households in the country through field agents or by mail. Recently, some countries have utilized voluntary electronic submissions in addition to the manual work to reduce costs and increase efficiency. However, an increasing number of countries are resorting to a register-based census that uses pre-existing official registers to derive its data. This paper describes Oman's upcoming register-based census, e-Census 2020, and analyses it against the European Commission's necessary conditions that facilitate a successful transition from a traditional to a register-based census [1]. © 2020 ACM.